Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 September 2021
321. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he is taking to promote compliance with the Nitrates Action Programme Regulations namely the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2017, SI No. 605 of 2017 to ensure that rivers and streams are protected from bovine excrement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46383/21]
View answerClean and well-protected water is important for the continuing success of Ireland’s society and economy.
Protecting and restoring water quality in Ireland requires, among other actions, robust measures to address the loss of agricultural nutrients into our rivers, lakes and groundwater.
My Department works closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on these issues.
Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme is a key instrument in achieving good water quality. The current Good Agricultural Practice Regulations run to the end of 2021 and a new Nitrates Action Programme will be published at the beginning of 2022. A second consultation phase on the draft Nitrates Action Programme has just been completed and my officials are currently assessing the responses.
Improving compliance with the Regulations is a key measure in the draft Nitrates Action Programme. It is likely that this new programme will also include measures to improve training for farmers and their farm advisers.
Farmers are provided with detailed information on how to comply with the current regulations and on how to improve farm sustainability more generally. This information comes from local authorities; from the Nitrates Section of the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine and from Teagasc advisory services as well as through communications from programmes such as the Agricultural Catchments Programme and the Signpost Farms programme.
On compliance assurance, inspections are currently conducted by local authorities with assistance from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides support and coordination to each county council and has a statutory role to supervise the local authorites’ environmental activities.
